


Your Place is in My Hands

by SykoShadowRose



Category: RWBY
Genre: (How the hell did angst get into this story!?), Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Ambiguous Pregnancy at Time of Death, Anal Sex, Angst, Breaking Up Without Words, Canonical Character Death, Clothed Sex, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Happy Taiyang, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Not Quite Getting Back Together, Overstimulation, Overstimulation By Choice, Overwhelmed Qrow, Qrow Being Afraid of His Semblance, Sad but Hopeful Taiyang, Taiyang-centric, Touch-starved Qrow, Vaginal Sex, rated E to be safe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:27:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23013232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: Taiyang discovers he enjoys taking care of Qrow far more than he really should.
Relationships: Background Taiyang Xiao Long/Summer Rose, Past Raven Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long/Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose, Qrow Branwen/Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 6
Kudos: 108





	Your Place is in My Hands

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest one-shot I’ve ever written to date. It’s also the third sex fic I’ve written and I’m not too sure about it… Seriously though the angst wasn’t supposed to be there but then it went and involved Summer’s death...

The first time Tai noticed it was back at Beacon. It had been after a long day of sparring followed by a mission that turned out harder than they had been led to believe. They got it. Sometimes the information was wrong. Didn’t mean they had to be happy about it though. All of them had gotten cleaned up as soon as they’d returned to the school and collapsed into bed. They’d eat whenever they woke up. The lateness of the mission had gotten them excused from classes the next day, so there was no rush. Summer and Raven had passed out before Qrow had even turned off the lights and Tai was well on his way when a quiet whimper and rustling dragged his eyes open. 

A few moments passed in silence, despite him straining to hear anything that may have woken him up. Just as he was about to close his eyes and finally get the rest he needed it happened again. It took his exhausted mind a few moments to realize that from the direction of the noise it had to be Qrow. The blond turned to his side to look at his partner, watched the shadowed form squirm on the bed without a sound before he moved just wrong and Tai heard it a third time. 

“Qrow?” The fighter frowned in concern, sitting up to get a better view in the darkness.

“Fuck.” The slender body rose up on an elbow, turned in his direction. “Sorry Tai. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Wasn’t sleeping yet. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” Qrow dropped back to his bed with a sigh. “Go to sleep Tai Tai.”

Taiyang scowled and threw his legs over the side of his bed to stand up. A few cautiously shuffling steps brought him to the male twin’s side. He sat down gingerly- fully prepared in case Qrow got territorial and threw him across the room. The twins could be frighteningly defensive over “their” space and didn’t always take well to others invading it without permission or at least warning. He and Summer learned that the hard way. Warily, still on guard for a sudden flight the dragon placed his hand out, risking the touch even though the other usually shied away from touch. He landed on the space between Qrow’s shoulder blades and raised his eyebrows at the amount of tension he felt in just that small point of contact. “Gods Qrow! No wonder you can’t sleep.”

“Said ‘m fine, Tai. Go back to bed.” Qrow shifted out from under the warm touch, stifling another whimper when he moved just wrong.

Tai’s scowl deepened. “The hell I will! You’re not fine Qrow.” He nudged his friend’s shoulder, gently encouraging him to roll flat. “Lie on your stomach.”

“Tai..” The prone form resisted him. He held back a growl at the stubbornness.

“No. No arguing. Do it.”

Huffing quietly Qrow did as he was told, trying to stay silent as he moved. He refused to prove Tai right even if it was obvious to the blond. He tensed even more when he felt Tai move over him, hissing in pain at his body’s protest. Knees on either side of Qrow’s hips Taiyang carefully placed both hands on the juncture where neck meet shoulder, pressing gently into the tense muscles he felt to start with. He paused, gauging his partner’s response. When nothing more than a harsh breath occurred he moved just a bit, thumbs running down along his spine. For several endless seconds they remained frozen like that, Taiyang unwilling to really move until he knew Qrow was okay with the contact. Then the body below his trembled releasing a tiny, broken, barely audible noise and the smaller male's entire body went lax beneath him. Tai released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding before he started to really massage the back under his hands.

It was beyond shocking how tight the body he was working loose was wound. Though, he supposed, perhaps it shouldn’t have been. Harbinger was hardly small or light after all. And Qrow was constantly on guard, ready to react at the first sign of his semblance. While focusing on the task at hand, Tai couldn’t help but become aware of several details he hadn’t really paid any attention to before. 

Qrow’s body was cool under his hands, though that could have been due to his own higher body temperature. He was so slender beneath his broader body, bordering on delicate. It was easy to forget just how much smaller the other man was when he had that deadly scythe in hand, swinging it easily with one hand. As Qrow relaxed more and more, small noises began escaping him whenever Tai got him to release a specific knot. It was when Qrow shifted, settling into his bed more deeply while Tai worked, that the blond realized he was enjoying himself way more than he should be. Rather than let it be known, he lifted himself up a bit more to ensure Qrow wouldn’t feel his problem. 

He was there to help Qrow so he could sleep, not to get into his pants.

“‘S good Tai.” The drowsy rasp jolted him from his thoughts and sent a bolt of heat through him. He tried not to look guilty when Qrow turned his head to look over his shoulder at him. “I c’n sleep now. G’ t’ bed.”

“Good night Qrow.” Tai took extra care with climbing off of Qrow and his bed when he got up to crawl back into his own.

“G’ n’ght Tai.”

Despite how tired he was, Tai was unable to sleep. He’d been so ready to before he’d gotten out of bed to help his friend but now his body was on edge and his mind was racing. He’d never seriously considered Qrow sexually before. It had crossed his mind briefly, idly- one reason he’d gotten the other into the girls’ uniform- but he’d been too focused on Raven and Summer to really give it much thought. Now the idea was there and he couldn’t get it out of his head. He wondered if Qrow would be so pliant under different circumstances. How would he react? When he finally drifted off it with quiet whimpers, soft noises and a raspy voice echoing in his ears.

~

The next time it really stands out is after Raven left. Qrow had split his time between missions, finding his sister, and helping around the house so it wasn’t uncommon for him to drop in unannounced. From the worse for wear look of him when Tai opened the door, he’d just gotten back from one of Ozpin’s missions. Filthy and half-starved with various cuts and bruises all over. Tai wasn’t sure if he should be thankful that Summer had taken Yang out for the day. On one hand, the female would have been able to help. On the other hand, Yang didn’t need to see this kind of thing just yet. It was up to him to take care of his partner. No problem. He could do it. 

Coaxing the skittish hunter into the house and getting him to eat hadn’t been too challenging. He’d claimed that the food was a recipe he was trying out and needed input on how it tasted. Getting him to the bathroom to get cleaned up wasn’t hard either. Telling him that Summer had bought him some new clothes to try on worked well enough. The difficult part was getting him to accept help with his injuries. The hunter was currently seated on the toilet lid, eyeing him as if Tai were about to skin him alive.

“My aura will heal it Tai. This isn’t necessary. Just give me a day or so and it’ll be gone.” Qrow leaned away from reaching hands, giving the cloth of disinfectant a distrustful look. His partner sigh, looking to the ceiling like he was praying for strength.

“Yes it will. _But_ this will prevent infection, avoid scarring, and help it heal faster.” Tai set the cloth down on the counter and reached out to cup one hand around Qrow’s neck, using his thumb to nudge the other’s chin up so he could look back into red eyes. “Qrow, please. Let me do this.” _For you._

Tai waited, stretching his patience until a shudder ran through that slender body, until those eyes dropped from his. That same barely there tiny, broken noise slipped out of Qrow as his body leaned into Tai’s grip. Giving a sigh of relief he picked the cloth back up and got to work patching up his friend. As he tipped the angular face to the side so he could clean a cut across his cheek, Tai did his damnedest to ignore and conceal the fact that he was suddenly and inexplicably hard for the bird. He bandaged every cut he could. Smoothed salve on the scrapes and bruises. Braced the shoulder that looked like it could have been reset from a dislocation.

By the time he was done, Qrow’s eyes were fighting to stay open. Tai roused Qrow enough to get him dressed and walked him to the guest room with one arm around his slender waist. As he got the other (smaller, delicate) hunter into bed and pulled up the covers, he thanked both gods and every spirit he knew of that Qrow hadn’t discovered his shame. Rubbing a hand over his face he went downstairs to meet Summer and Yang when they got home. 

~

Later that night Tai found himself staring out the window in their bedroom, looking at the black night and white broken moon. Comparing them to ebony hair and milky skin. 

“What’s wrong love?”

Taiyang jolted from his daze at the question. He hadn’t realized Summer had entered the room, Yang must have finally fallen asleep. He turned to face her. Tai should have seen this coming and prepared for it. He’d been off since he’d tended to Qrow and he knew it. Yang was too young to notice or question it but Summer was bound to bring it up. The problem was he hadn’t been ready for the question, so he wasn’t sure how to explain. So he went with the first thing that came to mind. “I think my wiring is messed up.”

Silver eyes blinked at him from where Summer sat on the bed. “What?”

The blond threw himself on the bed face down with a defeated groan. “It’s Qrow. No, that’s not right. It’s me but it’s about Qrow.”

The huntress watched calmly as her lover sat up and harshly scrubbed both hands through his hair in frustration. For a moment she feared he’d start ripping it out but he let his hands drop back to his lap. Given the limited information she had, she thought she knew where this was going but allowed him the chance to explain it in his own words.

“It started back at the Academy. Qrow got sore a lot because he was always tense. He was on guard against his semblance and in the beginning when we were building our strength and endurance he was sore from pushing his limits with Harbinger. The first time I got him to let me give him a back massage, I got hard. Happened every time after that too. I don’t even know how I managed to keep him from noticing. I just brushed it off though. It was before you and me and Raven got together so it was easy to explain away.” He gave a frustrated huff, thinking back to just how oblivious he’d been about himself. “But today it happened again. While I was bandaging his injuries.” Tai buried his face in his hands, his distress nearly overwhelming him. “I don’t get it Summer! How could I think of him like that while he was hurt? Yea sure, it wasn’t bad and I was wrapping him up, but still!”

A small body pressed against his back and slender arms wrapped around his shoulders. Summer held him while she sorted through her own thoughts. She’d been partially right at least. “Sweetheart calm down. I don’t think it was him being hurt that aroused you Tai.”

Blue eyes turned to look at her, desperate for an answer that didn’t make him feel like a creep. “How can you be sure? Even back then he was in pain…”

A pale hand covered his mouth, stopping him from finishing. “Because of how you phrased it love. You said it happened when you gave him a massage and while you were bandaging him. I think it’s the fact that he’s letting you take care of him that does it for you.” Something she didn’t really do. She would have insisted on taking care of most of her own injuries. And Raven never would have allowed them to even see that she was injured in the first place.

“Really?” The tension bled out of his large body and he leaned back into her body.

“Yes, really. Now come lay down with me and go to sleep. Yang’s probably going to be up early. She always seems to know when her uncle is home.” Summer pulled the covers up over both of them and settled into her usual place partially on top of him. 

As Tai’s breathing slowed down and deepened Summer stayed awake, evaluating. She hadn’t realized Tai had that kind of need, wasn’t sure she could give into him the way he apparently craved. She was too independent and strong willed to surrender herself like that. And as much as Tai obviously enjoyed caring for the dark hunter, he just as clearly needed time to come to terms with it. She decided she’d get up early and get breakfast for Qrow so that Tai wouldn’t have to deal with another episode so soon. It was going to be a hectic few days with their friend around. She would do what she could to help her lover out.

~

Qrow was sitting up against the headboard when Summer quietly knocked on the open door, bowl of cereal in hand. While the huntress was an exceptional baker, she usually ended up burning whatever she tried to cook. Tai was the opposite, able to cook amazing meals but failing at baking beyond muffins and bread. She gave him a warm smile to make up for the cold foor. “Morning! I brought food. I promise it’s edible.”

Qrow gave a quiet laugh at that, knowing it wasn’t just a joke about her cooking skills. It was also a subtle jab at his inability to comfortably eat oatmeal. One of the few things she could make. The taste of it wasn’t what bothered him about the food. It was the consistency of the stuff that made him gag. Summer got it. She was the same way with bananas. Tai thought they were both weird and ate oatmeal with banana slices to prove nothing was wrong with the food. Qrow thought he was just being a jackass. Not that he really had much room to judge.

“Thanks. Probably gonna make a mess though. Fair warning.” The bird tugged the collar of his shirt to the side, bringing her attention to the wrapped shoulder.

“Oh.” She placed the bowl on the nightstand while she carefully inspected the damage. “This looks pretty bad. It’ll be a couple days before you can take off the brace.” After a moment of consideration, tossing a glance in the direction of Taiyang, she sat on the bed in front of Qrow and took the bowl up again. Deliberately keeping eye contact, she lifted the spoon and held it out, careful not to drip milk everywhere.

Red eyes widened in surprise as he stared at her. Summer waited for his response, wondering what she looked like to him. Sitting there still in her sleep wear with her hair down and unbrushed. Eventually Qrow looked down at the spoon, a small tremble quaking his frame, and made a small, soft noise before he took the offered bite. And suddenly she understood Tai’s dilemma better than she thought she ever would.

The huntress gave an encouraging smile, lifting another bite out for her friend while trying to discreetly clench her thighs together. Summer couldn’t help but think ruefully that when she’d thought to take on the task to spare her lover the discomfort of the situation it hadn’t occurred to her that she might find herself with the same problem. Still, she refused to regret her choice. Instead she shoved down the desire that heated her to her core and focused on staying still so she could feed Qrow without him figuring out something was wrong with her. The bowl was nearly empty when she heard Yang’s loud babbling, calling for the attention of one of her parents. Footsteps coming down the hall indicated Taiyang was on his way and by the time both blonds arrived in the room the bowl was empty and Summer had moved on to checking some of his other injuries.

Yang squealed and kicked excitedly when she saw her uncle, reaching for him with both her little arms. For a moment Tai worried she’d aggravate Qrow’s wounds. Not that it stopped the bird, who had stood up and scooped the little dragon out of her father’s arms to cradle her. She seemed to settle a bit in his hold, so Tai figured that the other hunter should be okay with the baby girl. It was heartwarming to watch Qrow adore his only niece so openly. The sight really drove home for him just how different Qrow was from Raven, despite being twins.

“Hey Qrow, we’re going to go get dressed okay?” Summer didn’t actually wait for a response as she stood and all but dragged Taiyang from the room behind her. Once they were in their room she closed the door and faced him, silver eyes shining. “Okay. I get it.”

“Summer?”

“I fed him this morning since his shoulder is messed up and he made this little noise before he let me and I just…” Her gaze darted to the door. “I _get it_ Tai.”

The blond stared at the small woman. Took in her bright eyes and flushed cheeks. The way she bit her lip and pressed her legs together. Oh. _Oh!_ Well, that was an interesting revelation.

“So…” He leaned back, crossing his arms and shuffling his feet. “Is this an us thing now with Qrow?”

“Looks like it.”

“Right. Okay. Well. We’ll talk more about this later. Qrow’s waiting with Yang right now.” Tai stripped quickly and threw on some clean clothes. He went to the door and turned to Summer, noticing his flower trying to calm herself down without success. “I’ll keep them busy for a while if it’s needed. You can take the time to deal with that properly.” He gestured with one hand to the barely visible damp spot forming between her legs. Tai walked out of the room, laughing quietly to himself at her adorable pout. He spotted Qrow as he reached the top of the stairs.

The smaller man was just coming out of Yang’s nursery, fluffing up the ruffled yellow dress with the sunflower print on it. He’d even managed to pull her hair up into pigtails, though she was pulling on one with an uncertain look on her tiny face. Qrow smiled when he saw Tai watching them, shifting Yang to his hip with his uninjured shoulder supporting her weight. As much as Tai wanted to take his daughter so that Qrow wouldn’t stress his recovering body he knew, by that action alone, that separating them would be a fight he wasn’t likely to win. Especially when he saw the small blond holding a book out for her uncle to take. 

“Which one is it this time?” Tai steered the two of them down the stairs, giving Summer some privacy.

“Same one as last time. And the time before that. I was beginning to think she’d lost all her other books before I saw the shelf.” He lifted the slim book up, showing off the main character on the front.

“Ah. That one. She probably does it because Summer and I take so long to read it to her. We just can’t do the rhymes and tongue twisters as smoothly as you can. It frustrates her that we have to go slow to say everything right.”

Qrow settled down in a large chair, tucking his niece into his side while he propped the book open on his knees. The bird tossed a smirk at his friend, lifting a brow. “Need to work on your tongue strength and flexibility Tai Tai?”

Tai gave a forlorn sigh. “I keep trying but Summer always complains that my mouth isn’t enough.” He couldn’t help but grin at the choked laugh he’d startled out of the other. Qrow rarely expected Tai to play along when he made a dirty joke but his reactions were always worth it on the occasions when he did. He went into the kitchen to prepare drinks for them, Qrow’s rasp a soothing hum in the background while he gathered what he needed. Qrow’s voice floated in as he started a kettle to boil water for tea.

“Chick with bricks come, Chicks with blocks come.  
Chicks with bricks and blocks and clocks come.”

Tai smiled at the smooth flow of the words, setting up the mugs with tea bags for when the tea was ready. The cadence of Qrow’s words never faltered or slowed, leaving him impressed once again.

“And here’s a new trick Mr. Knox… Socks on chicks and chicks on fox.  
Fox on clocks on bricks and blocks. Bricks and blocks on Knox on box.”

Summer wandered in just as the kettle started to whistle, leaning up to kiss him. Her damp hair gave her flushed appearance a plausible excuse- though they at least knew the truth. He wondered briefly what she’d thought of before he brushed it off. Taking the kettle off the burner he poured the water and went to left up two of the cups. A small hand on his arm stopped him from lifting the ready cups and he turned to look at her. 

“Should we tell him and ask him to stay?”

Tai looked down to where her other hand rested on her abdomen. “Yes and no. He’ll bolt if we ask him to stay. But we could tell him and ask him to drop by more often.”

A sad sigh left the huntress but she acknowledged the truth of Tai’s words. When they finally carried the three mugs of tea and one sippy cup of juice into the living room, they found Qrow turning back through pages while Yang pointed at different characters and tried to say their names. Summer set her drinks down and sat with Tai on the couch.

“You’re wonderful with her.”

“She ain’t that hard to handle. Nothing like her mother was as a kid, that’s for sure.” Qrow took one of the cups from Tai and drank deeply. The dragon realized his mouth was probably dry from reading, especially since he went so long without talking whenever he was out on a solo mission for Ozpin. 

“Yea well…” Tai took a drink of his own to stall, just a bit. “Hopefully her sibling will be just as easy.” Wide red eyes whipped around to stare at them with a sharpness that made Tai cringe for the neck muscles that had to be hurting now.

“Sibling?” Came the breathless rasp. Eyes flicking between the two of them then dropping to where Summer’s hand rested over the growing life inside her. She was smiling widely. 

“I just found out after my last mission a week ago. Damn near gave poor Tai a heart attack when I told him. I’ll be stepping back from hunting now that we know for certain that I’m pregnant.” She linked her hand with Tai’s, leaning against his arm. “We know you can’t stay long, the jobs you do are important, but we were hoping that maybe you could try to drop in more often? Stick around longer between missions when you can?”

“Please? It would mean a lot to us for you to be here.”

Qrow opened his mouth, a refusal resting on his tongue ready to be loosed, but he hesitated. Silver and blue eyes glazed at him pleadingly and he found himself closing his own in defeat. “Yea. I can try.”

“Thank you!” They chorused back at him. And he couldn’t even bring himself to regret what he’d agreed to. Not even when the mug he’d been using broke off the handle and spilled the remains of his tea all over the floor.

~

It was months later that he finally started to figure out what it was that made him burn for Qrow. He had Qrow pinned against the wall in the guest room, mouths sealed tight against each other. Courting Qrow had been a careful process, filled with set back after misunderstanding before all of them were finally on the same page. Afterward their time had been filled with gentle touches, chaste kisses, and as much cuddling as they could get from the bird when he was home. But this. This was so much more than that. Tai traced the seam of Qrow’s lips with his tongue, coaxed him into deepening the kiss slowly.

He didn’t pull back until Qrow twisted free from his mouth, tipping his head back to rest on the wall while he panted. Tai dropped his head down to mouth at the pale neck offered to him by the action. He felt the bird tense and froze, fearing the worst. There was a hard shudder that wracked Qrow’s slender frame, a sign Tai had learned meant the other was locking down his flight or fight instinct. Then he heard it. That soft sound Qrow always made when he gave into them. The small but strong body relaxed, relying on Tai’s hands on his hips to keep him upright and suddenly Tai was harder and hotter than he’d ever been before.

Resisting the fierce need to crush Qrow’s body to his own, Tai carefully maneuvered them to lie down on the bed. He slotted his wider form between Qrow’s legs, supporting himself on his elbows and rocked down into the hardness he felt against his own. As he set a slow grind the still functioning part of his mind puzzled out what it was that affected him so deeply with Qrow. The desperate little noises Qrow was making were slowly starting to destroy even that small rational part of him though.

Qrow was incredibly strong for his size, able to wield his weapon with only one hand. Even his off hand. And able to give Tai a decent fight unarmed. If he truly wanted to, he could easily punch Taiyang across the room. But he didn’t. Instead he surrendered to Tai, trusting the blond not to hurt him even though Tai was the stronger of them. He gave himself up completely in a way that Raven and Summer never had. 

With Raven every time had been like a battle. The woman aggressive and dominating and demanding everything while offering little in return. It was a war he’d realized early on he’d never win but he’d accepted it because he’d loved her. Summer was more like playing a friendly game of tug-a-war. There was a push and pull between them. A give and take that he enjoyed even if he craved more and he was content because he loved her too. But with Qrow. Oh Qrow.

The smaller male yielded to him in a way he hadn’t realized he needed as he came back to focus on the marks he’d made on that beautiful neck. He was soft and pliant as Tai removed their shirts so he could explore more of that pale body, though he was far from idle. Weapon calloused hands skimmed up tanned sides, grasping his shoulders to pull him closer, his mouth seeking whatever skin he could reach. Long legs curled around Tai’s own to bring their hips closer together.

Tai groaned and worked his way back up to Qrow’s mouth, engaging in another kiss while he worked both their pants open. He swallowed down the startled whimper as he took both of them in hand, using his palm to spread their pre-come as lube. It wasn’t the best but by the tremble in Qrow’s body he didn’t think it would take much to bring him over the edge. He knew it wouldn’t take long for himself. Not when he’d been wanting this for years. 

He was grateful for Summer’s insight. It had been her idea to get Qrow used to them one at a time before teaming up on the touch-starved hunter. 

Qrow ripped his mouth free to pant wettly against Tai’s jaw. Small moans escaping with each breath as the large hand worked them towards completion. He felt Tai’s other arm work it’s way under his shoulders. Supporting the fighter’s weight and holding him at the same time. Tai’s weight kept his hips pinned so he couldn’t move- not that it would have been intentional at this point. His hands clutched helplessly at broad shoulders, blunt nails digging in to hold on. His body was so unused to the sensations storming his senses that he couldn’t remember what he was supposed to do. He’d known once, he was sure he did, but the knowledge was out of his hazy grasp as Tai shifted his grip.

Fire raced down Taiyang’s spine as Qrow’s little moans rose in pitch, the tremble of his body becoming more pronounced and his legs hitching up to cling more tightly to Tai’s frame. Quiet whimpers began to join Qrow’s moans as he started to become overwhelmed. Later Taiyang would wonder when the last time Qrow had a lover was. He would wonder if even this much contact was too much for the other as his smaller form seemed to convulse every few moments. For now he pressed soothing kisses to the other’s tempe and cheek.

“Shh. It’s all right baby bird. Let go. I’ve got you. I swear I do. Trust me.” The dragon continued to whisper sweet promises into Qrow’s skin, holding him close as he finally, blessedly brought them both to orgasam. His lover let out a broken, wounded sound like he was dying. As if his body wasn’t certain what had happened had really been a good thing. The larger male waited for the tense body below him to relax enough for him to let go of him so he could move freely before he carefully shifted them so they were on their sides, facing each other. He placed one arm around his little bird while the other gently petted sweat slick skin.

Qrow was shaking in his hold, gasping for breath with lashes wet. He hadn’t cried but it was close. It was also another clue to Taiyang just how far Qrow’s senses had been pushed beyond what they were used to. He knew the other wouldn’t be telling them anytime soon. But for now he could hold him. Help his body adjust. For now he was content to ease his new lover into a relaxed state, sated and hopefully ready for a peaceful sleep. In a few moments he’d separate long enough to get them cleaned up. In the morning he’d talk with Summer so she would know how gentle she’d have to be with their blackbird. But not now. Now he would rest.

~

Tai watched as Summer took Qrow by the hand and led him up the stairs. It was an interesting experience to watch them go when he knew what was going to happen. Hopefully, someday, Qrow would be able to handle both of them at the same time. He was really looking forward to that day. But it would be a while. Qrow still had a job to do and his time away from them often left him hypersensitive to their touches when he returned to them. They almost hadn’t realized when he’d tried to spend more time away as the birth got nearer but Summer had put her foot down before he’d gotten far with that plan. 

She’d always been fierce when she set her mind to it. Pregnancy hadn’t changed that. And she was as beautiful as ever to him. And to Qrow, who worried his mere presence would complicate the birth. Which was the reason he’d attempted to play some odd version of keep away with them. Not that it would have worked. The only thing that would have kept them from him was Qrow honestly telling them he didn’t want to be part of the relationship they had going. Tai shook his head, pushing it from his mind so he could focus on his daughter. Summer would tell him about it later.

~

He found Qrow standing over Ruby’s crib after he’d settled Summer into bed for the night. The newborn was home for the first night since her birth and already her sister had tried to sneak into her room twice. It was cute, how his little dragon was so excited about her new sibling. But not conductive to bedtime. Qrow had been the one to tuck her in the last time so maybe the toddler would stay.

Tai slipped his arms around Qrow’s waist, startling the other hunter. He nuzzled the other man’s neck in apology then turned his attention to the sleeping flowerbud. “She looks just like her mom.”

“Yea. Probably gonna get into everything just like her mom too.” Qrow leaned back into the strong body, trusting him to hold him up. He’d had to keep both eyes on Yang while Tai was in the delivery room with Summer and while he loved his niece she’d been bouncing all over the place waiting for her sibling to be brought into the world. He was exhausted. “She’s so small Tai.”

“Definitely got that from her mom.” Tai slowly backed out of the room, keeping both arms around the other man so he was dragged along with him. He made his way towards the guest room. While Qrow had taken to sleeping with them in their bed often, there were time the lone hunter needed space. Tonight it was more about letting Summer rest though. “Come on. Summer wanted me to talk to you about something.” He felt Qrow tense and immediately rushed to reassure him. “It’s not bad- not from our viewpoint but we know you may not think so.”

“Right. That’s not ominus or anything.” Qrow wiggled free with a grumble, crossing his arms and sitting down on the bed. He didn’t like pulling away- being in Tai’s arms made him feel safe which wasn’t a feeling he got a lot of with his career- but he had a sense that he’d need his space for whatever was coming.

“So Raven and I had Yang. Summer and I have Ruby.” Tai sat in the lone chair in the room, clasping his hands in front of him. “In a year or so, maybe. Not right away. But when everyone is ready…”

“Tai?”

“Summer wants to have a kid with you.” Blue eyes flicked up to look straight into red when he said it. A red that was rapidly beginning to fill with panic. He moved quickly to steady hand that had begun to shake, trying to sooth the bird before he flew off without hearing them out. “Not now! Not now Qrow. We just had Ruby. But listen okay. We want you to think about it-”

“What’s there to think about Tai?” Qrow resisted the urge to yank his hands free, needing the anchor the dragon was giving him even if he was the reason that anchor was needed in the first place. “I’m gone on missions more than I’m here. When I’m out there I spend most of my time buzzed if not fully drunk. I’m a bad luck charm- a disaster waiting to happen. You can’t honestly want to inflict that on a child!”

Taiyang scowled, locking down his need to take his partner into his arms and hold him until he understood just how loved he was by their little family. That action wouldn’t help in this situation even if it had (rarely and only for brief periods of time) worked in the past. He really did hate how Qrow saw himself. And to think he’d started to believe Qrow was getting better. Obviously he’d just gotten better at hiding it.

“How about we think about the fact that you obviously love Yang with all of your heart? The fact that Ruby not being blood related to you didn’t stop you from being there to help up with the pregnancy or the birth? And you can’t convince me that you’ll treat her differently than you treat Yang in the future.” The dragon firmly cupped Qrow’s chin when he tried to look away. “How about we talk about those missions? About how you need the alcohol to numb you enough that the Grimm don’t zero in on you right away? Or that those missions can take you away for months at a time and we’re left sitting here, waiting for some kind of sign that you’re still alive out there?

“Our lives are dangerous Qrow. We love you and want something of you to hold onto if a mission goes wrong. Is that really so surprising? The rest of the team has children. We want to give you one too. Just think about it Qrow. Please. That’s all we’re asking from you right now. Just consider it. Okay?”

“I…” A shuddering breath left the lithe body. Brow furrowed as he processed everything that had been said to him. “I promise to think about it.”

“Thank you.” Tai leaned in to give Qrow a gentle kiss, knowing just how much even considering having a child meant to the bird.

~

Tai gripped one pale hip firmly, directing the angle of Qrow’s thrusts with one hand while balancing on the other. Beneath them Summer used her grip on Qrow’s neck to drag him into a kiss. The blond groaned as Qrow clenched around him, Summer obviously having done something to their lover out of his sight. He thrust harder, wringing a gasp out of the female and a keen from the male. Between them Qrow was shaking as uncontrollably as he had his first night with Tai. Small, broken sounds escaped him constantly, his breath bordering on catching with every thrust. He’d assured them both that he was ready for this. That he could handle both of them but Tai was starting to doubt it. 

More likely it was Qrow feeling guilty that they had to take turns with him. Probably blaming himself in some way for keeping them apart even though that wasn’t even close to what was going on. The fact that Summer had finally convinced Qrow to have a child may have factored in as well. Maybe he just wanted all three of them involved in the making of his kid. Tai could live with that possibility. The three of them were finally together all at once and they were going to enjoy it. Hopefully without rendering the poor, isolated male insane.

He felt Summer buck up from her place through Qrow, crying out loudly. Apparently Qrow had managed to gather enough of his sense in his overwhelmed state to do something that sent Summer to the edge. That was fine with Tai. He knew how to tip her over it. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to last but Qrow felt like he was ready to shatter between them, tightening around Tai with every movement. He leaned down, running a line of kisses up Qrow’s shoulder to his ear. “Come on baby bird. Give her what she wants.” A choked gasp came from Qrow, his body tensing even more. Just a little bit more. 

Meeting silver eyes, Tai used his hand to slightly tip the direction of the other male’s hips and increasing both the speed and strength of his thrusts aiming for Qrow’s sweet spot directly instead of just brushing past. From the way Summer arched and cried out, her nails digging into Qrow’s arms when she clung to him, he knew he’d angled Qrow to hit her sweet spot. Qrow buried his face in Summer’s neck with a ragged sob, his body all but convulsing. Tai thrust deep and froze, still deep inside Qrow, his muscles shaking with the strain of staying still. He ached and _burned_ but he wasn’t willing to push either of his lovers past what they could handle. He bowed his head, resting his forehead against the back of Qrow’s neck while he waited for everyone to calm down enough for them to part.

Summer didn’t like to be overstimulated, though she’d never left him hanging. Raven hadn’t ever gotten to that point. And Qrow… _Oh shit!_

Qrow was clenching around him again, bucking back and keening high in his throat. Tai shuddered and growled. Pulled out and flipped Qrow onto his back next to Summer before descending upon him. He took those pale legs and hiked them up around his waist, nudging forward so Qrow could feel him but he wasn’t inside yet. “You sure?”

Strong legs tried to pull him closer. When Tai refused to budge despite his burning blood, Qrow tossed his head back in frustration. “Please Tai. I can take it. Please.” The bird tried to pull him in again. “Finish with us please. Like this.” 

Tai stared into eyes that had only the thinnest ring of red visible. With a desperate groan Tai pressed back into the willing body beneath him. Qrow drew in a shuddering gasp, body quaking with the overload. But he refused to let Tai pull away. Figures that the bird would be able to handle it. Overstimulation was practically the definition of every time he’d been with either of them. Still, the blond was careful when he thrust, though he could only hold back so much. One of Qrow’s hands was drawn away from his shoulder and Tai glanced over in time to see Summer press a kiss to Qrow’s knuckles, a pillow propped under her hips to keep her pelvis tilted.

The reminder of what they were after made him close his eyes. He swore, diving down to capture Qrow’s mouth with his own, unable to hold back any more. He thrust hard, hyper focused on the way Qrow’s body gripped him. It took only a few more before he came deep inside the other, shuddering at the sound Qrow made when he was filled. He collapsed against the smaller man, clinging to him as he came down from his euphoric high. A small hand was rubbing against his arm. Summer, he guessed. He could feel both of Qrow’s where his arms wrapped around Tai’s neck, cradling him to his body. One arm left, probably to reach for Summer and Tai did the same. The three of them stayed as they were for a while, simply enjoying each other for the time that they could.

~

_It wasn’t supposed to be like this._

Taiyang looked down at the white stone. A year had passed and he still wasn’t used to her being gone. She wasn’t supposed to be dead. She was supposed to be alive helping him raise the girls. She would have given birth by now if everything had gone as they’d hoped. He wondered if Qrow would have had a son or a daughter. Who it would have looked like more.

He didn’t know what the job she’d gone on had been but he didn’t think it could have been that dangerous if she’d been willing to go before she knew whether or not she carried a child.

Qrow was off again. Tai didn’t know if he was on a mission or just keeping his distance. It hurt, the not knowing. It hurt even more to know that Qrow blamed himself for Summer’s death. And it killed something deep inside him to know that Qrow had started drinking even more to deal with the problem instead of relying on him for help. Tai knew it wasn’t just Summer’s death that hurt him, it was the loss of the future they had offered their shared lover. He was pulling away now, convinced it had been his presence that had destroyed everything they’d been building together. The distance he was creating wouldn’t do any of them any good in the long run but Tai wasn’t sure how to stop him. That had been Summer’s gift. He didn’t have the strength left to fight the growing rift either. It took all he had just to care for himself and his daughters.

Sighing in defeat the dragon turned to walk home. He needed to start planning dinner for the family. Maybe if fate chose to be kind he’d find Qrow perched on the railing of the front porch. At least then he’d know the other was alive and safe even if he was no longer allowed to be close to him. Tai dreaded the day Qrow chose to abandon the remains of their family, but blessedly it hadn’t happened yet. He had hope that it never would.

~

The hollow ache never faded. Not when Qrow saved the girls from Grimm or when he stopped hunting to take a teaching job at Signal so that he could be nearby for Ruby’s training. It would probably never fade but he’d gotten better at living with it. He’d definitely gotten better at hiding it. He wondered, now that both his daughters were at Beacon, if he really needed to keep hiding it. He’d mostly done it to keep them from worrying. It was best to continue as he was though, for the times they visited or called. They didn’t need to know how broken he and Qrow truly were. 

With the Vytal Festival coming up he’d considered travelling to Beacon to watch in person. Eventually he decided against it. Ruby and Yang would know that he was cheering them on from Patch. He didn’t need to immerse himself in excited crowds that would undoubtedly rub him the wrong way. No reason to ruin it for everyone just because he couldn’t handle the emotional pressure.

A few days later he was grateful he’d stayed because Qrow decided to stop by on his way to report in to Ozpin. 

Tai took in the gauntness of the other hunter, the haunted look in those red eyes, and pulled him into the house and towards the kitchen by the wrist. He wanted- desperately- to take Qrow into his arms and never let go. He couldn’t do that though. Qrow wouldn’t allow it anymore. What he was permitted was to cook and bring clothes for the other to change into. He was allowed to nudge the other towards the bathroom to get cleaned up. He was allowed to direct the other to the guest room to rest before he continued on his journey. It was all he was permitted to do since Summer’s death. It would have to be enough.

~

It was against the unspoken rules. Contact like this wasn’t allowed anymore. Taiyang didn’t care. He held Qrow close to him. Practically lifting him up off the floor with one arm around his waist. The other hand was deep in ebony hair. Holding him in place while Tai did his damned to kiss the other hunter breathless. Qrow’s hands were fisted in his shirt, his legs shifting like he wanted to lift them and anchor himself to Tai’s hips. He didn’t but he didn’t push Tai away either. There was a sound. One Tai hadn’t thought he’d ever hear again, as Qrow parted his lips. That quiet surrender brought back so many feelings and memories.

He shoved them away.

Qrow was granting him this much but he doubted he’d get more. Not with Yang despondent upstairs in her room. Not with Ruby heading off on her way to Mistral, to Haven for answers. Not when Qrow was following after to watch over her and her friends.

So he took in every detail he could. The far too light weight against his body. Bones digging in where they shouldn’t. He reminded himself that Qrow was strong. He was skilled. And as he finally released the other, watched him catch his breath and step away to fly off, Tai reminded himself that Qrow always came back. He could only hope that this time Qrow came back to him in more ways that one.

**Author's Note:**

> I've given thought to writing a sequel with Clover/Qrow/Tai but I don't know if I'll do it.


End file.
